Different Circumstances
by Tani Glace
Summary: adopted
1. Prologue

**Different Circumstances**

A/N: There will be lots of spoilers for the series in this story.

Warnings: AU after the Valley of the End, Yaoi/Shonen Ai

Summery: On the road of life many paths cross. Some paths cause our own to veer off in a new direction. When two paths cross for a second time what new direction with the lives take?

**Preface**

Because the timeline in Naruto is never really establish I would like to take a few moments to set one up for your convenience and my peace of mind.

This timeline is loosely based and the air dates of the series and my own overactive mind in an attempt to be as realistic and cannon as possible.

June 2002: Naruto becomes a Genin

July 29, 2002: Start of the mission to Country of the Wave

August 10, 2002: Battle on the bridge

October 10, 2002:Naruto turns 13

April 2003: Chuunin exams start

May 2003: Chuunin exams interrupted by Orochimaru's attack

June 2003: Sasuke defects to Orochimaru

July 2003: Naruto leaves to train with Jiraiya

August 10, 2003:Prologue

The sequence of events, up until Naruto leaves to train with Jiraiya, is totally cannon with one change. The events that follow Naruto's departure from Konoha are AU, but they will loosely follow the cannon.

**Prologue**

Images passed before him like a reel of film. Things that he had tried hard to forget: Sasuke lying on the ground pierced through by numerous senbon and apparently dead - Haku dead, Zabuza brushing the 'tear' from the boy's eye - The snow falling in the summer to cover the two bodies and then melting away leaving nothing behind - Standing before two empty graves and deciding on his new way of the ninja.

No Naruto didn't really care much for that dream, he had only had it once before. It had been the night after those events had occurred. He sat up and scrubbed the sleep from his eyes.

He and Jiraiya were in an inn that night and for once Naruto had to be quiet while getting up, as the old pervert was actually asleep and not writing or out harassing the local women. He got up and curled himself into the open window.

In the distance the sky was just starting to turn pink with the dawn. He shook his head at himself. He had been sleeping very poorly over the last two months. Two months ago Sasuke had left to find power. The brunette had abandoned everyone who cared about him for the sake of revenge, revenge that perhaps he would never achieve.

Naruto knew that the chances of Sasuke becoming strong enough to kill his brother before Orochimaru took over his body were slim. His friend had chosen the easy path to power and in doing so sacrificed the only chance he had of having a normal life.

Sasuke would never have been happy so long as his brother lived, but that thought provided very little comfort to his friends. Naruto especially. Sasuke hadn't just been Naruto's friend, he had been the closest thing to a brother that the blond had ever known.

Jiraiya gave a snort and turned over in his sleep. Naruto looked over at his master and gave a weak smile. The Sannin had been training Naruto hard over the last month and for once Naruto had been paying attention.

True the blond was still the hyperactive dunce that he had always been, but he had started to put forth a true effort in learning. He had taken on a serious air and truly listened to what he was being told. He had always been a hard worker but now more so than ever.

It was the effect of having a purpose in his life, a purpose that wasn't wholly selfish. He wanted to save his friend, his brother and he was willing to kill himself trying.

Again the image of Sasuke ridden with senbon came to mind and it drew Naruto's thoughts back to his dream. Why was he having _that_ dream now?

A little voice in the back of his mind whispered things to him as he tried to think.

"_Do you have a precious person?"_

"When a person has something precious to protect, that is when they can become truly strong."

"_I will make his dreams come true."_

"_You are like me, you know how it feels not to have a purpose."_

It sounded too much like Haku. Then his own voice rang out in his head, _"I think that under different circumstances we could have been friends."_

Something seemed to click in Naruto's head and he mentally counted the days since he had left Konoha. "One year… one year ago today you died," he whispered into the silence.

He had not known the self proclaimed tool for long, but in that short time Haku had made an impact on Naruto's life and forever changed the way the blond thought of things. "Too bad things weren't different," he whispered again, "I could have used a friend like you in my life right now."

Naruto looked back out the window to watch the sunrise even as he heard Jiraiya stir behind him.

He silently made a vow to himself as he watched the light grow ever brighter on the horizon. It was the same vow he had made many times before, but each time he made it he felt new resolve. _'I will protect my precious people.'_

---

The prologue is short, I know, but mine always are.

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	2. Chapter One

**Different Circumstances**

I do not own Naruto or any part of his world.

**Chapter One**

He realized that he would always know when this day came. For the fourth time now he had the dream on that night of the year. Once the night after it all happened and on that night in the three years since.

Naruto was again sitting in the window as he was want to do on such mornings when a dream woke him before the sun made itself known in the east. Time had passed almost without his notice over the last two years during his travels, but on that night every year he was forcefully reminded of the date.

The room behind he was deafly silent as Jiraiya had vanished off to one of the local brothels or bathhouses the night before. He doubted very much that he would see the pervert before midday if that early.

More than once the toad hermit had tried to get Naruto to go with him so that the blond could 'become a man,' but each attempt had been refuted by a glair or a threat to send a letter to Tsunade baa-chan. Naruto couldn't see what got the man so excited. True Naruto was a healthy fifteen-year-old and had long since discovered how nice his body could feel, but that didn't mean he was panting after every busty girl or woman that passed him. Really he didn't see what the big deal was.

After awhile Naruto got annoyed with himself and deiced to go out and train. He had nothing better to do until Jiraiya showed back up.

The village that they were staying in was small so it didn't take Naruto long to exit the town proper and find a secluded place in the surrounding woods to train undisturbed. The hours passed seemingly unnoticed and the sun was high in the sky before Naruto flopped down, hot and sweaty on the grass under a large tree. The air itself was cool on his skin despite the heat of the midday sun.

He had managed to keep his mind occupied in the constant battle with numerous of his shadow clones, however as he sat resting his thoughts were pulled unwavering back to his dream. It was inevitable on this day.

Haku was always a constant presence in his mind on this one day out of the year. Naruto saw his face among the crowds of strangers and heard his voice carried on the very wind. There was no denying that the boy had changed his life and Naruto had often wondered what he might have done differently to change the fate of that day.

"Moping is hardly a productive pass time."

Naruto made no move to acknowledge his teacher. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had felt the approach of the familiar chakra and thus was totally unsurprised by the man's presence.

"What has you so thoughtful?" Jiraiya sat next to his student and leaned back against the tree.

"Did you ever wish that you could… I don't know change the way something happened? Like if you could go back and change something, fix it…" he trailed off, not really knowing where he was going with the comment anyway.

Jiraiya had become accustomed to Naruto's more contemplative fazes, though they had been rather disturbing at first. It was hard to see the person that he so often kept hidden behind his ever-cheerful mask. "Sasuke on your mind again?"

Naruto winced ever so slightly at the mention of his best friend, but shook his head. "No, actually I was thinking about something else."

Jiraiya tilted his head to the side and thought for a moment. There was still quite a bit that he didn't know about his student, but he had heard a few stories from Kakashi and Iruka about the young man's many misadventures. "Want to elaborate on that a little?"

Naruto hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair causing the unruly mess to stick up further. "I never really told you about my first mission outside of Konoha, did I?"

The question sounded almost rhetorical, but Jiraiya was somewhat familiar with the events of that particular mission. C rank turned A, and the near loss of one of the team members. There were numerous Chuunin that could not have survived in such a situation, however Kakashi's team had come out alive and mostly whole. "No, not really."

A sad and wistful smile crossed the blonds face. "It was the first time I realized exactly what it meant to be a ninja. That particular lesson came at a high price though." Naruto's voice faded off into silence and Jiraiya waited patiently for him to continue.

"There was this guy, Zabuza. He was a missing-nin."

"Heard of him, I think. He was one of the twelve swordsmen."

Naruto gave a bitter laugh. "Yeah, 'was' being the key word. He didn't have to die."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at that, but made no comment. Why Naruto would even think such a thing about the Devil of the Mist was beyond him.

"Anyway, he had this kid with him. He was my age, very girly looking, and his name was Haku. I met him by chance after I fell asleep in the woods. I had worked myself into exhaustion and just fell asleep on the grass." Naruto chuckled to himself for a moment as his mind wandered back. "I remember my first thought about him was something like, 'Wow she is even prettier than Sakura.'"

Jiraiya chuckled along with him at that. Secretly the old man was rather glad that the blond seemed to be over his first crush, but the thought was still amusing. His thoughts were brought back to his student when Naruto started speaking again.

"He asked me if I had a precious person. At the time I didn't really understand what he meant. I thought I did, but now I know better." Naruto sighed heavily and he seemed to drift off into his own little world for a moment.

"He was a supremely unique person. His heart was so pure and yet so full of pain. It was the first time I ever really felt connected to someone, the first time I thought someone might understand the way I felt."

Naruto leaned back on his elbows and looked up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight. "At the time he was just a mystery, but when I met him again on the bridge the things that he said to me started to make some sense. He was more powerful than just about anyone I have ever met. He wanted so badly to please Zabuza that he was willing to sacrifice himself…" he trailed off, but in the end he really didn't have to say anything else.

Jiraiya laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder in a way that clearly conveyed that he understood and he did. Naruto was the same as this Haku boy. They were willing to give anything for their precious people. Jiraiya could see in Naruto's eyes that the boy didn't understand why Zabuza had been that precious to Haku, but the comment about the swordsman not having to die suddenly made a lot more sense.

"Come on you lazy oaf, enough of this. We need to get some lunch and then we are headed for Kyuso."

The blond frowned. "Why are we going there? I thought we were headed to Suna."

Jiraiya shook his head and pushed himself up. "I got a tip on some Akatsuki movements in that area."

Naruto stiffened beside him. "Now don't go thinking that we are going to make a move or any such nonsense. I just want to ask some of the locals a few questions."

Naruto wasn't paying attention. His contemplative mode of just moments before has dissolved into a quiet rage. Uchiha Itachi would have died a slow and painful death many times over if the blond could have managed it. He had fantasized many times about the numerous painful ways that he could slowly dismember the Uchiha traitor. Visions of Itachi's slow and painful death were interrupted when again Jiraiya's hand came down on Naruto's shoulder.

"Snap out of it kid. I don't like him anymore than you do, but you are no match for him. Let's not forget that the Akatsuki are still after the Kyuubi."

Naruto jerked away from his sensei and grunted a quiet, "hnn."

"Hum, maybe I shouldn't have told you. You're acting like a certain reckless brat I used to know."

Somewhere in the back of his mind Naruto realized that Jiraiya was right, but that didn't make him any less agitated. "I'm sorry."

"I know, but you need to keep your cool kid. In the last two years you have surpassed all the expectations I had for you when we started this little trip, but being rash now will not bring your friend home."

Naruto nodded and started walking toward the village.

Jiraiya stayed behind for several moments thinking. Despite what he had told his student he knew that Itachi would have a hard fight when the two finally came face to face. The Uchiha would be hard pressed to take the blond alive and Jiraiya doubted very seriously if the missing-nin could come out of it intact.

---

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	3. Chapter Two

**Different Circumstances**

If I owned Naruto then this wouldn't be fan fiction and I would have enough money to… well anyway let's just say I would have money.

**Chapter Two**

"Did I ever mention that I really hate the sound of your voice? It gives me a headache."

Naruto stopped his idle humming and glared at his teacher. "If you hadn't tried to grope the waitress after getting drunk then you wouldn't have a hangover and a lump on your head, thus you wouldn't have a headache. It has nothing to do with my humming." They boy put his nose in the air and walked several paces ahead of his grumbling teacher.

"Since when are you such a prude?" Jiraiya asked huffily.

Naruto rolled his eyes, but didn't turn around. "I'm not a prude, I just prefer to keep my skull intact thank you." He did turn back then and stuck his tongue out at the old man.

Jiraiya laughed, "I give it a few more months, maybe a year and you will be just as bad." The hermit continued laughing and felt his headache ease off just a bit.

All Naruto could think was, 'Not likely.'

A few hours passed in relative silence with only the occasional banter passing between them. Jiraiya's headache finally gave way and he seemed to be in a much better, if more serious mood as they reached the outskirts of Kyuso.

Kyuso was no small town. Though hardly a metropolis the sprawling town made Konoha look like a bump in the road. There were numerous large buildings and various markets throughout the main streets and large residential areas. It would be a good place to go unnoticed and thus Naruto could see why the Akatsuki would find it appealing to set up shop in such a place.

"So where do we start?"

Jiraiya looked down at his student and thought. "Well there is an inn just up the road from here. It will put as a good twenty minutes from the center of town, but it will also make it easier for us if we have to make a run for it. I have a few contacts here that I want to meet tonight and I want you to do some general assessments of the area outside the village. We can meet back at the inn come dark and go from there."

Naruto nodded, "Sounds like a place to start anyway."

A few more minutes had them in the lobby of a nondescript short-term boarding house. When Jiraiya paid ahead for a week Naruto gave him a questioning look, but said nothing. If they were going to be there for that long then the lead Jiraiya had must have been a good one. They dumped their things in the room, but before Naruto could make for he door Jiraiya stopped him.

"This is a scouting venture only. If you see anything that looks suspect then you take note of its location and leave. I don't think I have to tell you how dangerous this could be. If Akatsuki are in the area then you particularly are at risk."

He paused and leaned back against the wall. "To be honest I almost sent word to the Godaime to follow this one up. I am going to show an uncharacteristic amount of trust in you for this. If you screw up you are going to regret it, ether at my hands or those of the Akatsuki," he finished and pinned Naruto with a hard look.

Naruto gulped loudly and took up the old familiar mask for comfort. He scratched the back of his head and gave a goofy smile. "Anoo, you can trust me."

Jiraiya pushed off from the wall rolling his eyes. "One can only hope."

---

It took a long time to make the perimeter of the village. He had seen people out on picnics and students studying plants and animals. Basically he had noticed normal life taking place.

It was what he did not see that frustrated him. He found no clues of any kind that would lead him to think that the Akatsuki where in the area. He may not have been the best tracker in the world, but still he had hoped to see something.

In the days that followed he expanded his search of the area to cover sever miles outside the village and still there was little that he found of interest. Had it not been for Jiraiya's contacts feeding them the local gossip he would have written it off as another dead end.

They had been in Kyuso for two weeks and the leads were slowly dwindling. They had heard a several rumors about men in black cloaks with red clouds, but they had yet to find anyone who had seen them first hand (or rather were willing to say they had) or who knew where they went when they left town. As it was they felt that another day or two would see the end of any progress to be made in the area. From there they would send word off to Tsunade and have her send someone to investigate further, because the location was still promising.

Naruto was on his own in the shopping district because Jiraiya was off doing 'research'. In truth Naruto was glad that the Sannin was out of his hair for a while. They hadn't been stationary for this long since they had left Konoha and Naruto was starting to feel restless.

He had been unable to do much in the way of training while they were there because the old man was reluctant to let him go off on his own much with the threat of the Akatsuki so close. So Naruto savored his brief freedom by wandering the town looking for things to take back to his friends.

Over the last two years he had managed to pick up a few small things here and there to take to each of his precious people. Each person now had some small token tucked away in his bag, the only exception being Sakura, who he had yet to find something for. None of the items were more than a trifle because he couldn't afford to weigh himself down with numerous large gifts. If he could have he would have though.

Sakura's gift was proving hard though. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had kept hoping that he would be able to bring her the one thing he knew she would truly love: Sasuke, but that was a futile wish. His best friend no… brother was still far beyond his reach.

He idly passed the various shop windows looking for something to catch his eye. As the light began to fade, music could be heard from the down the side streets, no doubt coming from some karaoke bar or another. It was still early yet; the days had begun to shorten as fall began to claim the countryside.

He hardly noticed as the shops gave way to houses and the houses grew further and further apart. His thoughts had wandered off into the past and happier times. Times before he knew the pain of loss because he had had nothing to loose. 'Maybe not happier, but still simpler,' he mused to himself, for there were few times in which he had been happy even back then.

He looked up to the clear star strewn sky and finally noticed that he had wandered a good mile from the outskirts of the city. It was peaceful and the city lights were far enough away that they did not hinder the night. He laid down in a clearing and let the silence wash over him.

It was nice to be away from the constant noise and though it was less than prudent to do so he soon found himself falling asleep. As his breaths evened out and his mind entered the land of dreams a single figure watched him.

After a time the figure stepped out from its hiding place and approached the sleeping blond. "You still haven't learned. You'll catch cold if you sleep in a place like this."

---

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	4. Chapter Three

**Different Circumstances**

I do not own Naruto or his world. The only things I own are bills. You don't have to sue me for those, if you want them I will happily give them to you. Honestly, here take them, they're yours.

A warning to those of you that have not noticed: Naruto is more than just a little out of character in this fic.

**Chapter Three**

Something tickled at the back of Naruto's brain. He wasn't sure just what it was though. There was a familiar feeling in the air. At the same time there were some things off about his situation. The first thing being that he was outside when he should have been in an inn. The next thing was that he was most definitely not alone. Whoever it was that was with him was the familiar part, but it wasn't Jiraiya and that wasn't a good thing.

He lay still and feigned continued sleep. He listened to the other person move around and waited hoping that he could gather some hint as to who they were. There was slight relief in that it _was_ only one person and a bit more in that he was not bound. A fire crackled just to his left and the other person was on the other side of the flames.

"I know you're not asleep." The voice was soft and sweet, no hint of malice in the tone or meter. With his ruse detected Naruto sat up slowly and looked at his companion.

At first the fire and its low crouch obscured the form as it picked at something in a small basket. When the face looked up at him though Naruto felt that he was caught again in a dream. Dark chocolate eyes and soft features were framed by long black hair. His heart felt like it would burst for its beating. '…but he's dead. I saw him die…'

"Have you seen a ghost, Naruto-kun?" The words were just harsh enough to snap Naruto from his daze.

"How?" That one questions seemed so inadequate for all that it asked, but as the same time Naruto could not bring himself to ask more.

The other smiled sadly and sat back on his heels. "Would that I had an answer, but I do not know. I remember waking in the woods, cold and alone. Zabuza-sama was dead and we were miles from the bridge. I have no memory past stepping in front of that jutsu." Haku's fingers curled in the fabric of his kimono.

Naruto saw the tension in Haku's shoulders and he could _feel_ the pain that emanated from the other ninja. "It is the crewel irony of fate that we need those we love the most when they are absent."

Dark eyes looked up at him and again a sad smile crossed those too beautiful to be male features. "Not so naive as once you were."

Naruto scooted back and leaned against a nearby tree trunk. "I comes part and parcel with loosing one of your precious people. Unlike you I was not so fortunate as to have him die fighting for something he cared about."

Haku's face turned stoic, "Death is…"

"Inconsequential." Naruto felt bitterness wash over him. "We all die in the end. It is how we die that make the difference."

Haku tilted his head to the side in contemplation. "Perhaps."

The surreality of the situation seemed to strike Naruto all at once. He was having an almost philosophical conversation with someone he had thought was dead. They had fallen into a thoughtful silence. Haku picked almost idly at whatever it was that was in his basket. When the silence drug on for just a little too long Naruto's curiosity got the better of him.

"So what have you been doing for the last three years?" The question seemed simultaneously inadequate and too familiar.

Haku didn't look up, but his hands stilled for a moment before continuing their task. "At first I wandered. I had no purpose. I scavenged food from the forests. One day I came upon a small group of travelers, some random thugs were attacking them. I couldn't just stand by and watch so I helped them. After the thugs realized that they were no match for me they ran off. I set to work healing what injuries I could. In that I found enough of a purpose to continue on. I started training again and learning all I could about holistic healing and medical jutsu."

Naruto had sat quietly throughout the brief narrative. He found some kind of peace in himself knowing that Haku had managed to find some kind of new reason to life without Zabuza.

As if hearing Naruto's thoughts, Haku spoke again. "I would hardly call what I am doing living, but I am surviving nonetheless. It is a hallow existence."

What could he say to that? He understood some of that hallow feeling. Not three years prior it had been his whole world. Now though he still had precious people even though Sasuke was gone. He didn't recall when he started moving or why in fact he had moved at all, but the feeling of stiff shoulders firmly against his chest was very real. The warm body in his arms was real. The heartbeat, the breath, and the scent… they were all real. This man who had changed his life so irrefutably was real and alive.

How the older boy had survived didn't seem to matter anymore, or the fact that they had once been on opposite sides of the battle. Haku's pain was an echo of his own and had been from the moment they had first met. He rested his chin on Haku's shoulder.

"You need new precious people. You can never forget those that you love, but you do them a dishonor not to keep trying to find happiness." The shoulders seemed to relax just a bit and Haku sighed quietly.

"Not so naïve, but still an idealist." The larger boy relaxed a bit more into Naruto's arms even as Naruto gave a silent chuckle.

"Of course." They sat like that for countless moments and long lost words filtered into Naruto's mind. "Maybe we got our different circumstances. Do you think so?"

Haku stiffened again and pulled away slowly. He stood and turned on his heel to look down at the blond. "You forget what I am, Naruto-kun. I am a missing-nin. You cannot just save me."

Naruto stood up and got a mischievous look. "How can you be a missing-nin if you are dead?"

XXX

A little short, I know. Please review anyway. Thank you.


	5. Chapter Four

**Different Circumstances**

Sorry for the wait guys, life is hell and all that rot. Thanks to all my reviewers.

Just as a small recap since it has been a while since I have updated: Naruto has been training with Jiraiya for just over two years now. After falling asleep in the woods, Naruto is stumbled upon by a familiar face from the past. The date in this chapter is October 1, 2005.

**Chapter Four **

"How can you be a missing-nin if you are dead?"

Haku stared up at Naruto, uncertain what to say. "Come on, don't you get it?" Haku shook his head no. "Kakashi-sensei and I are the only ones who saw your face. We are the only ones in all of Konoha who would know you. Hell I don't know for sure that Kakashi-sensei would know you when he saw you."

Haku looked warily upon the blond as he continued to rant. When at last the younger paused for breath Haku spoke his mind, "It is a dangerous game to play. You could be charged with treason or at least harboring a fugitive. One such as I is not worth the risk, Naruto-kun."

Almost faster than Haku could blink Naruto was kneeling in front of him. "Yes you are, you have to be." Naruto's voice was full of pain.

Haku reached out with a trembling hand and touched Naruto's face. "Why?"

Naruto looked up from studying his hands with tear glazed eyes. "Because, you are just like I was. Only I was fortunate enough to find several precious people instead of just one. So when that one left my life I had others to fall back on."

"Naruto-kun," he sighed and tried to draw back, but Naruto caught his hand.

"No listen, you changed my life. You changed the way I thought about myself and the people I care for. There were times when I was faced with hard tasks and harder choices, but because of your words I was able to keep my priorities straight and make the right decisions." Naruto took a deep breath after having said all of this very quickly. "I could use a friend like you, now more than ever."

A slight blush appeared on Haku's cheeks and for the second time in his life Naruto was truly struck by just how beautiful the older boy was.

The moment was broken when Haku spoke again. "Naruto-kun, you don't know the things I have done."

Naruto slumped back and onto his bottom. "I don't care. I may be a dunce and a dead last, but I am willing to bet my life that you are a good person and deserve a second chance."

Haku fidgeted for a moment and then nervously pulled a leaf from his basket and crushed it slowly between his fingers. Naruto could smell a strong, earthy, bittersweet odor emanating from the released oils. "Do you know what this is?" Naruto shook his head. "This is wild basil, it's an herb. In spring it has tiny white blooms that are very beautiful. When the leaves are crushed with camphor and mixed into a neutral base it makes a numbing and healing balm, however if you distil the blooms with bitter almond oil it becomes a quick and deadly poison (1)."

Naruto looked at him blankly. "Um, that is interesting and all, but…"

Haku cut him off, "You said that you and I were alike and that may be so, however we are not the same. You are the leaf and I am the flower. The fact that we are the same plant dose not change the fact that you heal and I kill."

Naruto's expression became thoughtful and then he smirked. "It seems to me that you are the one who is healing people. Besides, without the flower there would be no more leaves."

Haku sighed. "Has anyone ever told you that you are an exceedingly stubborn individual?"

Naruto laughed. "Ero-sennin tells me that all the time."

Haku still looked wary. "It is so risky."

Naruto shook his head. "The deception would only be until I could talk to the Hokage. Tsunade baa-chan is a good woman. When I explain it to her she would give you a chance. We need good shinobi and healers. You are both of those things."

Haku sighed in defeat. "Alright, but I wont let them hurt you for this. If things go bad then I will tell them whatever I have to, to keep you out of trouble."

It was Naruto's turn to blush, "And you said you were a bad person."

XXX

By the time Haku had led Naruto to his apartment and they gathered the things he needed, dawn was already turning the eastern sky pink.

"Man if Ero-sennin has made it back he is going to throw a fit about me being out all night."

However Jiraiya wasn't back yet so Naruto offered his cot to Haku and sat down in the window. He watched as the older boy fell asleep with no argument. 'He is beautiful when he sleeps.'

The longer Naruto sat in the window the more questions began to fill his brain. 'How did he survive? What was he doing out there in the middle of the night? How did he find me? Why is he being so nice? Why did he give in so easily?'

He tried to shake the questions from his brain. His heart told him to trust the older boy and he found that trusting his heart usually served him well. 'Except Sasuke, that was the only time my instincts betrayed me. Still he might be saved. He is not a bad person, just misled.'

His thoughts continued on that way as his eyes grew heavy.

_He was staring up at Sasuke perched upon the Second's fingers. "So everything we did as team seven, that all means nothing to you?"_

"_It wasn't 'nothing.' You are my closest friend. That is why it is worth killing you."_

"_Because I am your friend it is worth killing me? I don't understand, but you act like you're serious."_

_They leapt at each other with deadly speed, clashing as they came together. _

Naruto jerked awake instantly with a pressure on his shoulder. Within the space of a breath he a kunai pressed against his 'attacker's' neck. It took a few seconds for his mind to catch up with his body. "Haku?"

"Hai, Naruto-kun, you were mumbling in your sleep. Are you alright?"

Naruto nodded shakily and released the taller boy before sliding the kunai back into his pouch. "Sorry about that."

Haku was running his fingers along a shallow graze on his neck. "It is nothing to worry over. I should have known to be more cautious waking another ninja."

There was silence for a long few moments. "It is unfair that you give me your bed, let me sleep on the floor."

Naruto shook his head. "No, you go back to sleep, I'll stay here."

Haku sighed and pulled on Naruto's arm. "If you wont take the bed yourself at least let me share it with you. There is more than enough room."

Naruto felt his face heat, but Haku's voice left no room for argument. The elder shinobi fell asleep quickly leaving Naruto to stare at the ceiling and wonder at the oddity of the situation. Just at the blonde's eyes started to droop he felt Haku shift. Before he could blink the brunette had curled himself against Naruto's chest.

The weight of the other's body was comforting, but at the same time Naruto felt like a thousand butterflies had taken up residence in his gut. 'Kami-sama, I am not going to get any sleep at all.' Regardless of this thought, just moments later Naruto was sleeping undisturbed, undisturbed by dark dreams for the first time in more than two years.

XXX

(1) From my reading the basil flower is not toxic. However it can act as a catalyst when mixed with bitter almond oil which has a high concentration of cyanide. For more information on essential oils you can check out www . essentialoils . co . za this is a very informative site. The information the basil flower was found in a book on herbs that is hopefully reliable.

Next chapter: Ero-sennin is at his worst when he comes back to find Naruto in bed with a beautiful 'woman'!!! What will our hero do???

Please review.


	6. Chapter Five

**Different Circumstances**

Again I am going to say sorry for the wait. I had some rather... rude people ragging on one of my other stories and it killed my muse for a while. I hope that I am back on track now.

As for the Haku gender issue, it is still 50/50. Lucky for me I don't have to decide yet. Despite how it may have appeared in chapter four, I plan to let Haku and Naruto's relationship progress slowly. If Haku does turn out to be female... I find a way to make it work if it comes to that.

There will be a small reference to the next to last of the filler arcs in this chapter.

**Chapter Five**

_There was silence for a long few moments. "It is unfair that you give me your bed, let me sleep on the floor."_

_Naruto shook his head. "No, you go back to sleep, I'll stay here." _

_Haku sighed and pulled on Naruto's arm. "If you wont take the bed yourself at least let me share it with you. There is more than enough room." _

_Naruto felt his face heat, but Haku's voice left no room for argument. The elder shinobi fell asleep quickly leaving Naruto to stare at the ceiling and wonder at the oddity of the situation. Just as the blondee's eyes started to droop he felt Haku shift. Before he could blink the brunette had curled himself against Naruto's chest. _

_The weight of the other's body was comforting, but at the same time Naruto felt like a thousand butterflies had taken up residence in his gut. 'Kami-sama, I am not going to get any sleep at all.' Regardless of this thought, just moments later Naruto was sleeping undisturbed, undisturbed by dark dreams for the first time in more than two years._

XXX

Jiraiya blinked as he stepped into the bright midday sun. His head gave a painful throb and once again cursed the demon that thought up Sake. He could almost hear the brat's voice in his ear complaining about his overindulgence.

As he stumbled down the street he received glares from the women and sympathetic looks from the men. It was days like this that Jiraiya was thankful that he had no wife to answer to, but then again there were times when Naruto could be a worse nag than Tsunade about such things. (Not that Tsunade really had much room to talk about the Sake and her gambling seemed to make up for his womanizing.)

His head was so muddled that it took him twice as long as it should have to walk back to the inn. He rather hoped that his bullheaded student was out training or sweeping the area around the city. It was not that he thought the blonde would find anything else, but if he were present when Jiraiya arrived in his current state the Sannin wouldn't hear the end of it for hours.

Jiraiya fumbled with the key for a moment before he was able to push the door open. He didn't really pay attention to the room save to sweep once for the blonde. Everything appeared to be in place at first glance though it was a bit odd for Naruto to still be sleeping at this time of day. He shrugged it off, deciding that the brat had been up late training or whatnot and he stumbled trough to the bathroom.

When he walked back out of the bathroom he paused. He hadn't seen it at first because of the glare from the window, but he saw it now. The lump in the bed was far bigger than it should have been.

Unless Naruto had grown bigger over night then… but no that wasn't possible. Jiraiya stumbled to the bed and grasped the blanket. For some reason he was nervous about pulling the cloth down. What if something had happened to the kid? Tsunade would never forgive him. He subtly pulled a kunai from his leg and then in a single fluid motion he snatched the blanket down. What he saw made him scream, then fall on his ass.

XXX

Naruto and Haku untangled themselves and were both in fighting stance faster than either's mind was awake enough to register what was happening. It was perhaps Jiraiya's good fortune that neither of them had remembered to place a weapon in easy reach before falling asleep otherwise he may well have been having to dodge various projectiles in that moment.

Naruto blinked several times to clear the sleep from his eyes, however he what he saw only made him groan. Jiraiya was not only gaping at them, but there was trickle of blood running from his nose as Ero-sennin eyed Haku up and down. Naruto rolled his eyes and stepped in front of his companion, blocking Haku from Jiraiya's line of sight.

Noticing Naruto's eased posture Haku relaxed and leaned forward to whisper in the blondee's ear. "I take it that this is the man you were telling me about?"

Naruto have a sharp nod. "The one and only Ero-sennin."

Jiraiya, who seemed to have snapped from his daze, glared at the Jinchuuriki, "I told you not to call me that!" He stood from his place on the floor and looked over Naruto's shoulder at Haku. "I am the great Jiraiya-sama, legendary Sannin and Gama Sennin! I also happen to be this ungrateful brat's sensei," he stated in his most pompous voice while posing in a way that only worked to make him look more ridiculous than usual. "And just who might this lovely lady be? Has the brat finally got a girlfriend?"

Naruto felt a flutter in his gut when Haku buried his face in the middle of Naruto's back in an effort to stifle a giggle and felt a blush begin to heat his cheeks. "Urusai, baka Ero-sennin!" Naruto couldn't help but feel a little flustered. "One: I'm not a pervert like you and Two: Haku is a boy!"

Jiraiya blinked and then, "Oh? I didn't know you went for that kind of thing, Naruto. Had I known I wouldn't have tried to set you up with all those girls." He took a moment to look at the figure that was watching him, still have behind Naruto. "I must admit though, you have good taste. Maa naa, at least I don't have to worry that there is really something wrong with you know."

It had taken Naruto a moment to catch what Jiraiya was implying, but as soon as he did he started sputtering, unable to form any kind of coherent reply. Both he and Haku were cherry-red in the face. After a few seconds in which Jiraiya laughed himself silly Naruto was able to finally spit out a half way understandable cry of, "Hentai!"

XXX

When things had calmed down a bit and the situation had been explained, Jiraiya surprised both Naruto and Haku by being contemplative for a moment and than stating that he understood. He did not question Haku's presence, motives, or even the fact that the boy was alive.

Haku wondered how the man could be so trusting, but followed Naruto's lead and chose not to ask any questions for the time being. However an hour later while they were traveling down the road away from the city he fell back and matched pace with the elder Ninja. "Jiraiya-sama?"

"Hn?" The elder didn't bother looking over at him. In fact Jiraiya's gaze seemed to be trained diligently on Naruto who was walking several meters ahead of them.

"It may sound impertinent of me to ask, but why are you trusting me?"

Jiraiya sighed as he took a moment to seemingly think about his answer. "To be honest I don't trust you."

"Then why…"

Jiraiya waved away the question before it was finished. "Because Naruto trusts you. I know him better than anyone else. I have lived with and taught him for three years now. I know his strengths and his weaknesses. While he is still lacking in many ways, one thing about him that I trust implicitly is his judgment of character. Since he has faith in you I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt... for now." At this point Jiraiya did look over at Haku, a hard, penetrating look. "Keep in mind though, this is your only chance. It is still a long walk to Konoha and if in that time I have any reason to doubt you or if you hurt him… let's just say that you are no match for me and I am not nearly so forgiving as my pupil."

Haku gave a stiff nod in acknowledgement.

"Good, just so long as we understand each other."

"Hai."

Jiraiya thought that Haku would take that opportunity to run off and catch up with Naruto, but the boy did not. He did however keep his eyes studiously trained on the blonde and Jiraiya was so busy watching him out of the corner of his eye that he didn't notice what Naruto was doing until he heard a soft airy melody fill the air around them.

Jiraiya looked up the road at Naruto and watched him play. The ocarina was something that Naruto didn't really talk about other than to say that a friend who had died had left it behind. The blonde had diligently worked to piece the wooden flute back together and the proceeded to drive Jiraiya crazy with it as he learned to sound out the notes.

While Naruto didn't talk about the incident that led him to acquire the ocarina, Jiraiya had read the report on the incident. He had been concerned at first, as the instrument was meant to be used as Chakra based weapon, but the blonde had never so much as attempted to use that part of its function and Jiraiya kept his mouth closed on the issue. In the years since Naruto had become quite adept at playing the thing. Jiraiya had more than once woken to the somber sounds of the ocarina as Naruto soothed his nerves with its music. In the end Jiraiya was somewhat glad that Naruto had the thing. It let his student express himself in a safe way and release his pent up emotions.

Naruto didn't really like to talk about the things that bothered him. The old saying, 'the river runs deep and what appears calm on the surface is turbulent beneath,' rang all too true with the Jinchuuriki. The few times that Naruto's mask had broken and his emotions had gotten the better of him had been disastrous.

Jiraiya chanced a look at Haku. The brunette was riveted by Naruto's playing. Jiraiya allowed himself to hope that maybe Haku could break Naruto's mask. If things kept progressing the way they had been then there would be nothing left of the real Naruto underneath.

"He seems so different from how I remember him."

Jiraiya sighed. "Not really, no. He's just hasn't been hiding quite as much as of late. I get the feeling though, that as soon as we get home his mask will be on tighter than ever."

Haku gave him a questioning look, but Jiraiya just shook his head. The somber tune from the ocarina faded and Jiraiya took the chance to call out to Naruto before he started playing again. "Hey brat!"

Naruto stopped and turned around. "Nada?"

"It is getting late. Go on up ahead and find us a place to camp."

"Yosh!"

Haku and Jiraiya watched him smile brightly and then run off as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Haku thought about the tone of the song and then the blonde's bright reply and realized, after a moment, that Jiraiya was right. There was a lot more to Naruto than met the eye.

XXX

Again I know that this took forever to get out, but it was really difficult to write for some reason. I'm sure that you noticed how I kind of glazed over the explanation of Haku's presence and Jiraiya's reaction. I just could not think of what to write. The only reason that this is going out now is that I convinced myself that it didn't really mater and to just get on with the story. I make no promises, but I hope the next chapter wont take seven months.

Remember to let me know if you want a male or female Haku or if you want a different pairing altogether.


	7. adopted

I have adopted this story out to one of my precious people. Tani's Slave will take it over from here. Know that the story will be Slash from this point forward. TS is a good author and one of my personal friends so I trust him to do the story justice. I will post the link to the new location in my profile.


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